Game-board.



NO. 818,582. PATENTED APR. 24, 1906. S. M. THOMAS.

GAME BOARD.

PPLIGATION FILED JUNE 2o. mos. RENEWBD JULY s, 1905.

UNrrnp sierras IA'IIFNII (IFFIUF.

GAME-BOARD.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented April 24. 1906.

Application filed June 26,1903. Renewed July 6,1905. Serial No. 268.555.

To /LH wit/)nt it Hw/y concer/t;

Be it known that I, STEPHEN M. TnouAs, a citizen o't` the United States of America, residing at Chicago, in the county oi' Cook and State of Illinois, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Game-Boards, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to certain new and useful improvements in game-boards, and its object is to produce a device of this class especially For use in playing the game ot checkers, although it can be used in other similar games wherein counters are moved upon a board.

The invention is illustrated herein by a checker-board, and the description is of a checker-board, although it is to be understood that boards can be constructed in a similar manner t'or other purposes.

To the above end my invention consists in certain novel features ot' construction which are clearly illustrated in the drawings furnished herewith and described in this specilication.

In the aforesaid drawings, Figure 1 is a plan view ot' a checker-board embodying my invention. Fig. 2 is a vertical section in the line 2 2 ot' Fig. I, showing a checker in place and showing the cross-section thereof. Fig. 3 is a section in the line 3 3 of Fig. l, showing a checker in cross-section in the position with reference to the board which it occupies when being moved from square to square 5 and Fig. 4 is a plan view ot' one of the checkers.

Referring to the drawings, A is a board which is marked into alternate dark and light squares L n.' in the usual manner, there being sixty-tour squares in the board illustrated, eight upon each side, four oi" which are o'l each color. In the game of Checkers all the playing is done by diagonal moves Aupon the dark squares. For this reason I run a series ol: diagonal grooves B through the dark squares in both directions, so that any of the checker moves can be made by lbllmving the grooves. These grooves are shallow and curved at the bottom, as shown in Fig. 3. At each intersection between two grooves that is, at the center of each dark square-is a circular depression (l, which is slightly deeper than the grooves.v

The checkers are indicated by D, and each is made in the shape of a short cylinder in the ordinary torni. At the bottom of each checker, however, is provided a downwardlyprojecting curved button (l, which is ol" the right size and shape to [it into the circular depressions C when a checker is placed in the center ol: the dark squares, which is thc proper position when at rest.

The operation ol this board will now be readily apparent. The checkers are set up in the ordinary way with the buttons d in place in the circular depressions (l. The Vplaying is done by sliding the checkers. When lateral pressure is brought to bear upon the checkers, the button slides out of the circular depression, its curve being l'lat enough to permit this, and slides down any of the grooves I3 until it reaches the next depression C, when the button falls into place, and the checker is held in position with comparative security. In forming "kings" it is only necessary to invert one of the checkers upon the other with the button projecting upward, and the appearance o'l" a king iliade in this way is superior to that made with the ordinary I lat checker now in use.

The advantages oli this device are twolold. First, a .move in an improper direction is almost impossible be 'anse the checkers tend naturally to Iollow the grooves. They are also always placed exactly in the middle of the squares, so that no doubt can arise as to the proper place oli any checker. A further advantage arises, however, lrom thc fact that an accidental jolt or jar imparted to the board is not likely to disarrange the pieces.

I realize that considerable variations are possible in the details olt this construction without departing from the spirit ot the invention, and I therefore. do not intend to limit myself to the specilic vI'orm herein shown and described, except as pointed out in the claims.

I claim as new and desire to secure by lietters Patentl. The combination with a game-board having a pluralityY o'l squares and a plurality ot' depressions within said squares and having a [.)lurality of grooves olE less depth than the depressions :running through the squares, and depressions in the direction in which the Vmoves are to be made, ol' a plurality ot pieces having downwardlyprojecting buttons of the same thickness as the depth ol the depressions.

2. The combination with a gaine-board IOO having a plurality of squares, the squares having shallow circular depressions, and a plurality of grooves of less depth than the clepressions, running through the squares in the direction in Which the moves are to be made and intersecting the depressions, of a plurality of pieces having downwardly-projecting circular buttons of the same size as the depressions in the squares.

In Witness whereof I have signed the above lo STEPHEN M. THOMAS.

Witnesses:

RUSSELL WILEs, CHAs. O. SHERVEY. 

